Tin Man by Lisa Henry and Heidi Belleau

Tin Man is a quick read (one sitting) by authors Lisa Henry and Heidi Belleau. It focuses on the stories of Ace, a petty thief, and Soren, a member of the Anti-Terrorist-Unit or ATU. When Soren chases down Ace for not providing proof of employment or residence, things get heated in more ways than one.

I found that throughout the book, the word fuck was used so often it distracted from the story and really made the characters seem ignorant as if they couldn't express wonder, excitement, disappointment, stress or fear in any other way. At one point the line was, and I quote, "Fuck, fuck, fuck." I don't have any problem with profanity, especially when it reveals more about a character. But every character in this novel was fond of it and it really hindered their development.

I also felt that the writing didn't match the pace of the story. Multiple pages would become victim to expressing every thought, even if redundant, about whatever was occurring. I'd be so far along in some character's processing of a scene that I'd have to turn back to see what event had occurred to ignite this trail of thought. So rather than feel the drama of a quick pace, I felt the agony of dry dialogue and internal processes stretched to their limit.

That being said, I feel Henry and Belleau could nurture a great skill of creating a sexy scene if they could just cut back on over-analyzing every move, every moment. But sexy scenes don't reach their full potential if we can't really understand the characters and see the intended chemistry. And if you're not into near-stranger sex with a dominating, degrading top who calls the surprisingly submissive bottom a whore, then you probably shouldn't start this book.

Tin Man seemed to be 70% sex and tension (and unrealistic at that), 20% plot (an uncomplicated three-step concept) and 10% character development (which is generous). Through reading the entire work, I didn't run across a single profound character, complex situation or memorable setting. It was the story of two static characters who had potential but instead were pre-programmed on a safe track to a happy ending.

If you would like to give Tin Man a chance through your own perspective, you can purchase it from Amazon. To the right appreciative audience, I'm sure it would be a worthwhile and entertaining endeavor.